


Perfectly Imperfect

by Trigger Finger (NatashaCole)



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Smut, Soulmate AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-09-01 12:58:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16765627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NatashaCole/pseuds/Trigger%20Finger
Summary: They say that when you find your soulmate, you feel it instantly. Upon that first meeting, your souls connect and the entire world as you know it changes. It’s destiny… fate. It’s common knowledge that it happens for everyone. It’s supposed to be perfect.Just when Rob and Reader have each given up on the idea of ever finding their soulmates, their worlds change in one unexpected moment of fate.The connection is there; but even they know this isn’t how it’s supposed to happen.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this was weird for me to write because I’ve never written soulmate AU’s (I also maybe think the idea of soulmates is super corny, so I just had to give it a shot). This will be fast paced, super corny, and angsty with a healthy dose of fluff. 
> 
> This was written as part of a challenge, and it's just continued.

**Rob’s POV**

Rob had always dreamt of the moment when he would meet his soulmate. Every person had one. It was a given, it was fate, it was expected to happen. Even after all these years, he never gave up hope that it would happen for him. That is, until recently.

The last of his tight-knit group of friends had recently met their soulmate. In fact, they had all been at a convention just like this one when it happened. It was an almost too intimate thing to witness; that exact moment of connection, the look on each of their faces as the realization washed over them. That fateful moment was also the moment that Rob decided he had given up.

It was odd enough that he was the age that he was now and had still never found his person. It wasn’t necessarily rare that people didn’t match until much later in life, but it certainly wasn’t common either. He couldn’t pretend to not notice the way his family and friends looked at him sometimes; especially when he was at an event alone while everyone else was with their person. He learned to ignore the looks of pity and the knowledge that, when people talked about him, it was usually about how strange it was that he was still alone.

Instead of dwelling on his loneliness the way that he used to, he learned to become content with it. He focused mostly on work; acting and writing and music. He just chose to lose himself in a busy life so that he didn’t have to think about how lonely he really was.

The notion of having a soulmate seemed like a fairy-tale to him at this point. He had heard all of the stories. He understood that, when you finally met your person, you’d feel it in your soul instantly. It was hard to imagine the feeling when someone explained it to him. He couldn’t imagine meeting a stranger and suddenly just knowing that they were it for you. But, the way others talked about the calm and the warmth that took hold in that key moment made him want to experience it for himself someday.

Then, there was the idea of colors. It was even more far-fetched than the other stuff that came along with soulmates. As with anything else soulmate related, he had only heard stories about this as well. It was something that you couldn’t understand unless you actually went through it. He tried to understand; but even people around him couldn’t explain it enough for it to have any real impact. The thought of it though intrigued him.

“Hey, you okay?”

Rob blinked quickly, broken from his thoughts as he heard Rich call out to him. He glanced up, nodding at his friend who was staring at him in concern.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just daydreaming I guess.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I’m perfectly fine.”

“Man, I really worry about you.”

“Stop worrying,” Rob chuckled as he stood up to follow his friend from the greenroom. “I was just thinking about all the work we have to do this weekend.”

“That’s all you’re thinking about?” Rich smirked.

“Absolutely. I’ve got a packed schedule.”

“Hey, maybe this will be the weekend,” Rich said happily.

“The weekend for what?”

“When you meet your person.”

Rob frowned, sort of annoyed by the fact that his friend was probably the only person in his life who refused to give up on the notion. Every con weekend was the same with him. He always announced with full confidence that this could be the weekend that it finally happened. He was always wrong. Still, Rob couldn’t find it in himself to ever tell Rich to just give up on it already. No matter how much Rob had given up, he thought it was sort of endearing that someone never did.

“Yeah buddy,” Rob said as he forced a fake smile. “Maybe you’re right.”

* * *

Rob moved through the first half of the first day of the con as usual. By that afternoon, Rich had pretty much left him alone on the whole soulmate thing. Even Rob knew that Rich was mostly remaining so optimistic about the whole thing in an attempt to make his friend feel better; eventually, he’d drop the topic after he had sufficiently made a big deal out of it for a while.

Rob sat at a long table in the vendor’s hall with his band-mates, each of them ready to start signing autographs for the impressive line of fans that had shown up. This was his favorite part of work. While he was unable to form a soulmate connection, the connection he had with fans was enough to make him forget about that for just a while. He loved to talk to them, to listen to their stories, to see their excitement upon meeting them. If nothing else, at least his music helped him to connect with people.

About halfway through the line, he stopped for a moment to take a deep breath. The line had been moving quickly and he was becoming a bit overwhelmed with all the people and the talking. When he composed himself, he nodded to their handler, who had stopped the line for a moment, indicating that his moment was over and he was ready.

The next fan stepped in front of him and he glanced up, realizing that he had been pretty terrible and hadn’t taken much time to really pay attention to the fans as they came through. Now, he had taken that moment; and he grinned up at the woman as he quickly recognized her.

“Hey, Y/N,” he said softly. He recognized her each time he saw her. She had been to many conventions and many Louden Swain shows, it was hard not to remember her by this point. There were always a handful of fans that he knew by name, and she happened to be one of them.

“Good to see you again,” she replied with a smile.

“It’s always a pleasure,” he added. “What embarrassing thing are you having me sign this time?”

“Not embarrassing,” she laughed, probably recalling the last convention she was at in which she had managed to find the most humiliating headshot from the beginning of Rob’s career, just to see if he’d sign it. He did, by the way. “Just our photo op from earlier.”

She held the photo out to him and he chuckled as he studied it. She always managed to come up with great ideas for ops, it was something that he learned very quickly about her. Every time he saw her face in line in the op room, he’d smile because he just knew she’d do something to take him by surprise. This particular op had been a bit different though. It had been the first time that she offered to let him choose the pose.

Given the fact that he was familiar with her and they were sort of friendly, he had pulled her in for a tight hug and placed a kiss to her cheek. It was an op unlike any other op they had ever had together, and he really sort of liked it the most.

“I can handle that,” he said as he reached out to take the photo.

It was mostly by accident; but as Rob’s hand grasped onto the photo, his fingers barely grazed hers. It was nothing out of the ordinary. They had touched innocently many times before.

But, the second his skin came into contact with hers in this very moment, everything changed. He felt it immediately somewhere deep inside of him. A longing? A need? Something like a familiar sense of anxiety that was only heightened in this moment. That feeling in itself was odd. He assumed it was a fluke. Yes, touching her had an immediate effect on his soul, but not in the way that it was supposed to. At least, he was certain it wasn’t supposed to feel like this.

He paused with that photo still in his hand, glancing up at her in shock. As he did so, the world around him began to fall into place. The gray world that he had become so used to seeing each and every day began to change. It was so sudden and almost blinding. He could see it all now. The vivid, almost violent red of her dress; the luminous shades of Y/H/C he now saw in her hair; and most importantly… those beautiful Y/E/C eyes that he had never noticed before. How he suddenly knew the names of these colors he was seeing, he didn’t understand; but the stories that he had been told all made sense now. Going from seeing nothing but shades of gray, to now experiencing these intricate colors all at once and so suddenly was overwhelming.

He stopped breathing, blinking rapidly as he tried to make sense of the fact that his entire life was changing in an instant.

His eyes locked with hers and he took note of the way she had also froze in place. Her expression was as equally shocked as his was.

Rob became suddenly aware of the fact that they were staring at each other, connecting right here in front of all these other people. At least, he thought that’s what this was. Still, he was unable to look away from her as the colors around him continued to shift; the new feelings within him still twisting and turning.

The world around them seemed to stop as they stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. People around them moved in slow motion, hundreds of voices almost muted as they lost themselves in this moment. No one else existed anymore, not right now.

He kept his eyes on her, almost as if he couldn’t even look away even if he wanted to. He noticed the way her own eyes welled up with tears, most likely due to the overwhelming emotions that they were each feeling in this very moment. He himself was holding back since he was very aware of the fact that this was happening very publicly; which was definitely not the normal way for this moment to happen at all. In fact, he was also aware of how completely not-normal this entire thing was from the beginning. Regardless of how unsettled he felt over it, he knew that this woman was his. That fact outweighed the loud voice inside of him that kept telling him that this wasn’t right.

“Hi,” he said softly, forcing his smile this time. “I’ve been waiting for you for so long.”


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Knowing that this isn’t the way that they’re supposed to find their soulmate, Rob and Reader are in search of an explanation for what just happened.

**Reader’s POV**

This wasn’t how this was supposed to feel. Every instinct inside you told you that. Still, you knew you had connected with him in this instant. Rob of all people. The man that you went out of your way to see at any chance you could get simply because of the fact that you admired him.

The meeting of soulmates was supposed to be instant the second you laid eyes on each other. On some occasions, it could be initiated by skin-to-skin contact, which is what had happened here. Still, it should have happened the first time the two of you touched.

The feeling in your soul and the sudden onset of being able to see colors let you know that this was real though. There was no denying it.

You held eye contact with him, now noticing the beautiful hue of blue in his eyes. You wanted to look away, but you knew it wasn’t worth trying. The moment would last for a brief period of time, or so you had been told.

The skin of your hand where he had touched you buzzed with an excitement, almost as if your body knew that it had found its person finally. That excitement was almost overshadowed by the fact that your soul felt confused. In the moment of connection, a person was supposed to feel immediately content. Whole. You should be feeling as if your life made complete sense.

But, you didn’t feel that way at all. Was this fear? Hesitation? You couldn’t make out any one feeling, so you just let them all run through you.

“Hi,” he said finally, smiling up at you. “I’ve been waiting for you for so long.”

That was the moment you sort of came to your senses. The overwhelming feelings began to subside somewhat, the world around you starting back at its usual pace. That was when you knew that this wasn’t a fluke incident. You had finally found your soulmate.

You should have been happy. You should have been content. Despite the fact that you didn’t feel any of that really, you still accepted his words.

“I’ve been waiting for you too,” you said softly.

Maybe the world had been wrong. Maybe the feelings and the situations that others described weren’t accurate at all. If this wasn’t what finding your soulmate was supposed to be like, then what was it?

“Let’s get the two of you out of here.”

You heard a voice, filled with concern, speak. You wanted to see who it was, but you and Rob were still caught in the moment, neither of you able to break eye contact just yet.

You felt a hand grasp gently onto your arm, saw the movement of someone that you couldn’t quite make out begin to lead you and Rob away from the table. You followed blindly, knowing that whoever it was, was only trying to help make this less public.

That was another red flag. The fact that this had happened right here, in this busy space, in front of all these people, wasn’t normal. A connection was meant to be a lot more private, a shared moment of intimacy between two people destined to be together. It wasn’t meant for the whole world to witness.

As you walked, you kept Rob’s gaze, your legs moving you as if they had a mind of their own. An extreme feeling of anxiety came over you as you impatiently waited for the moment to end. This was awkward, not at all comforting in the way that everyone said it would be.

* * *

After some time, the initial connection eased up. Now that you had your senses back, you were able to see that you had been whisked away to what you assumed was the green room. Whoever had led you here was gone now, and it was just you and Rob.

“This is kinda crazy, right?” He laughed uncomfortably. “I mean… you ended up being my soulmate after all this time.”

“It’s very crazy,” you pointed out, now even more unsettled as you had a moment to think about it.

“I’m just- so relieved that it finally happened.”

He was right in a way. It was a relief. After so long of not finding your person, you had nearly given up on the idea that it would ever happen for you. At the same time, you were anything but relieved by the fact that your connection with him was certainly not by-the-books.

“Are we really just going to ignore it?” You asked finally.

“What?” Rob asked, trying to look confused but failing. You could tell right away that he was thinking the same things that you were. In fact, you were sensing a lot more from him than you wanted to.

“Come on, we both know that this entire thing isn’t normal.”

“I mean, all we have to go on are stories,” he argued. “How do we know that it wasn’t supposed to go this way?”

“I know,” you said firmly. “And I know that you know.”

You both stood there across from each other, unable to look at each other again. This was beyond awkward. You didn’t feel as if you knew him at all. Mostly, he still felt like any other person. The only difference was that you knew in your soul that he was yours.

You were both startled by the sound of the door being forced open. You looked up at the same time, noticing Rich as he stepped quickly into the room, walking right toward you.

“I told you!” He exclaimed, a big grin on his face as he proudly looked at his friend. “Did I not tell you?”

“Oh, yeah. Sure Ritchie,” Rob mumbled as Rich stopped next to the two of you. “You did tell me. You were right for once.”

“Look, I don’t mean to interrupt,” Rich said. “I know what a big deal this is, and I’ll leave you alone. I just had to congratulate you finally. I’ve been waiting so long to congratulate you.”

“Thanks,” Rob replied, giving his friend a half smile.

Rich stopped talking, looking back and forth between you and Rob, his smile falling as even he realized how abnormal this seemed to be.

“Everything okay here?” He asked, concern falling across his face.

“Y-yeah,” Rob stuttered. “We’re good. Just… trying to get our footing here.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, we’re just talking about how to handle this.”

“Why?”

“Well, because this is new. We’re just- not really sure what to do next.”

Rich quirked an eyebrow as he continued to glance back at each of you, confusion now obvious in his look.

“You shouldn’t have to think about what happens next,” he pointed out. “You’re soulmates. Everything just falls into place on its own.”

“Oh, well, I’ll keep that in mind,” Rob replied nervously.

“What’s going on here?”

Rob looked at you, questioning you with a glance. The real connection might not be there, but you understood what he was asking. Desperate for answers yourself, you nodded, hoping that maybe Rich might understand why this entire thing was so out of the ordinary.

Rob gave Rich the Cliff’s Notes version of what had happened. He voiced both of your concerns, laughing when he was finished.

“Obviously this happens,” Rob said. “Some connections are just… delayed.”

He was doing a great job of trying to convince himself that he was right, but you knew he was wrong, and based on the way Rich zoned out as he tried to let it all process, even he knew it was wrong.

“So,” Rich began finally, “you’ve definitely met before? Many times apparently.”

You nodded, hanging your head in shame.

“And it only happened just now?”

“Yeah,” Rob said quietly.

“And you’re telling me that you don’t have the sudden need to- just be together?”

“Honestly, I feel really confused,” you answered.

“That’s… concerning,” Rich said as he studied you again.

“What do we do Rich?” Rob asked, sounding almost as desperate as you felt right now.

“I don’t know. I’ve never heard of this. Not in my lifetime anyway.”

“It’s got to be a fluke,” Rob reasoned.

Just hearing him say it out loud hurt. Yes, you had thought the same thing for a split second, but you knew deep down that it wasn’t a fluke. It was real, no matter how unreal it seemed. Based on the way he flinched as he said it, you could tell that it hurt him just as much to even think it.

“It can’t be a fluke if your souls connected and you can see color now.”

“Okay,” Rob replied. “Then it’s not a fluke. But why is it so… weird?”

“Sounds like the two of you need an expert on soulmates,” Rich said finally.

“Do you know one?”

“No. But I do know someone who, for some weird reason, has studied this stuff for fun.”


	3. Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rob and Reader get some answers. Unfortunately, those answers may not even be a real thing.

**Reader’s POV**

“Kim,” Rob chuckled. “Of course.”

“She’s an expert on this stuff?” You asked.

“Not really an expert I don’t think. But she reads a lot and talks about soulmate stuff nonstop.”

“I think she’s slightly obsessed,” Rich whispered as he sent the text that he had been working on.

“She can help?”

“I don’t know,” Rich admitted. “But if anyone will have any insight into what this is, it’s her.”

Not long after Rich sent the text, Kim was walking into the green room.

“I hear that someone connected finally,” she explained as she made her way toward you. “It’s about time.”

“Hey,” Rich began. “I told you that this was an interesting case. I figured if anyone had answers, it would be you.”

“Most likely,” she grinned. She turned her attention to you and Rob, letting out a long sigh. “Okay, start from the beginning and don’t leave anything out.”

After you and Rob had explained the entire thing to her, in as much detail as you could remember, staring back well over four years ago when you had actually met for the first time; you waited for her reaction.

Speaking about the experience made you feel worse. You and Rob should be thrilled to have connected. In fact, it was the norm that things would just fall into place immediately upon finding each other. But, you couldn’t deny that something just didn’t feel right. There had been no instant moment feeling complete. Your world didn’t just make sense now that you had found your person.

In fact, things were the complete opposite of how they should be.

Surely this had to be just as weird for Kim to hear. Anyone who already had a soulmate couldn’t understand. As far as you could tell, your experience was vastly different from hers and even Rich’s. You were afraid at the thought of ever having to bring it up to anyone else ever again; mostly because you just knew that no one would understand.

“Hey…” Kim pondered after taking a few moments to think, “have any of you ever hear the term, incomplete soulmates?”

“Huh?” Rob asked, speaking for the both of you as you stared at her, even more confused than usual.

You shrugged in response, just as confused as you had never heard of that.

“I read a lot of soulmate stuff,” she explained, “and there’s this thing, a story maybe, about incomplete soulmates.”

“What does that mean?” Rob asked. “Incomplete soulmates? That’s not a real thing. I’ve never heard of that.”

“It’s… a thing,” Kim trailed off, staring off as if she were trying to remember something. “I have read about it before, I’m sure of it. Something about soulmates not connecting properly for some reason.”

“Isn’t that just an old folktale?” Rich asked, cutting in to the discussion.

“You’ve heard of it?” Kim asked.

“Well, something like it. I’ve never heard that term. The idea though… I’m pretty sure that’s just a legend.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right.”

“Excuse me,” you cut in, “what legend?”

“I remember hearing this story years ago,” Rich explained. “It was just a story about two soulmates who might not have been actual soulmates because they didn’t connect the way they should have. It’s an old story, probably not even talked about anymore.”

“Yeah,” Kim added, “but from my memory of the story, it sounds strangely familiar to your situation.”

“But…” Rich said matter-of-factually, “it’s just a story.”

“Well,” Kim began. “Maybe not all legends are just stories. Maybe they’re real things that just became less common over time.”

“You’re not serious right now,” Rob argued.

“Come on, you had to know that at a certain point in your life, it was no longer normal. We all believed you’d be alone forever, that maybe you were just one of the few who didn’t have a soulmate. But you do have one. Something was wrong with you though and you just didn’t connect properly.”

“Thanks,” he huffed.

“I always thought people didn’t talk about the idea of incomplete soulmates because it was always considered a myth. But, maybe it’s not. Maybe it’s not talked about because it’s just uncommon.”

She spoke as if she were really onto something. She smiled as if a lightbulb had just turned on. Something that made absolutely no sense at all, seemed to make perfect sense to her.

“What does it mean though?” You asked.

“It’s a defect basically,” Kim began excitedly.

“According to legend,” Rich added sarcastically.

“Okay, according to legend, yes. You’re supposed to connect with someone the first time you see them, right? Fate keeps souls apart until it’s the right moment. That’s just common knowledge. Obviously that didn’t happen for the two of you. You crossed paths again and again, and nothing ever clicked. You both went on for years, searching for your soulmates, not even knowing that you were meant for each other.”

“So, we’re defective?” You asked.

It wasn’t even really a question anymore. As you listened to her speak about it, it made perfect sense. Maybe the idea was just an old legend, and maybe it wasn’t real, but it would certainly explain why you felt the strange mix of emotions when the connection happened. It would explain why you still felt incomplete even though you had just found your soulmate.

“I mean, I’d rather try to sugarcoat it, because Rob and I are friends and all… but, yeah. I think you’re both definitely defective.”

“How uncommon is this really?”

“Why are we talking about this as if it’s a medical condition?” Rob cut in. “It’s just a myth. I’m sure there’s an actual logical explanation for all of this.”

Kim rolled her eyes at Rob, unamused by his insistence that this was all most likely bullshit.

“I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that you’re going to have a hard time trying to find a professional who has answers for you. You know why? Because this…” she said, pointing back and forth between you and Rob, ”is not normal. I have never heard of this happening to anyone. Have you ever heard of this, Rich?”

“Nope,” Rich replied. “Only in the story.”

“In myth,” Kim began, “from what I remember reading anyway, let’s just say; it’s far more common to not even have a soulmate.”

“Okay, that’s a real thing,” you said. “Some people just don’t have one.”

“Right, but this… this is something else entirely.”

“Alright, let’s just say that your myth theory is actually true,” Rob said. “What does it mean?”

“I don’t know exactly, but from my understanding; this type of connection is vastly different from actual connections. You are soulmates. That’s just fact. You wouldn’t have had most of the effects of connection if you weren’t soulmates. But, for some reason, your connection just didn’t happen the way it was supposed to. Something was… broken. In turn, that defective connection sort of throws the relationship off it’s normal course.”

“English, please.”

“You’re broken,” she stated simply. “Defective, flawed, faulty… I know a lot of other words for it if you’d like to hear them all.”

“No,” Rob held up his hands. “I got it. My question is, why? Why did it happen this way for us?”

“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “All I can do is try to dig a little deeper. See if I can find out more. That is, if you’re willing to believe the myth.”

“You’d do that for us?” You asked. “You’d use your time to help us find out more?”

“Yeah,” Kim smiled. “You have no idea how much soulmate stuff intrigues me. Especially the weird legends. In fact, I’m going to go finish my work for the day and get right into more research. You know what? You can probably help by keeping track of what you’re feeling. I want to know more. Obviously the connection happened, but I’m interested to see if any of the other soulmate stuff is present.”

“Oh, okay,” you said. “We can do that.”

“Rich,” Kim said, pointing at the man. “Stay with them today. Take notes.”

“Are we test subjects now?” Rob asked, looking at Kim as if he were offended by the idea.

Kim paused, considering this.

“Yeah. You are.”

She shot you a wink as she turned from you and headed back out the door.


	4. Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even though things aren’t happening as they should, Reader learns the hard way that even defective soulmates are still soulmates.

**Reader’s POV**

“Where are my manners?” Rich asked after Kim had left. “All this serious talk and I still don’t even know your name.”

“Oh, I’m Y/N,” you replied. You held your hand out to him, expecting him to shake it so that you could formally meet.

He made the movement to take your hand, but stopped short and turned his face up in confusion.

“You sure that’s a good idea? I wouldn’t want to accidentally connect with you,” he said jokingly.

You chuckled at his comment, aware that the situation was weird enough to warrant a joke. Rob on the other hand, didn’t seem amused. While you were busy accepting the joke, Rob had stepped quickly in between you and Rich, face turning red as he seemed to be suddenly upset by Rich’s comment.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rob said through gritted teeth.

“It was just a joke,” Rich replied, holding his hands up as if he meant to protect himself from his friend. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

In an instant, Rob stepped back, visibly trying to calm himself.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I don’t know why I got so possessive.”

“Don’t be sorry,” you replied. “That’s a good thing.”

“Yeah,” Rich added. “That’s a normal reaction considering you just found your person. That protective, possessive feeling is going to be really strong for a while. Well, maybe. I guess we really don’t know with you two.”

“That makes me feel a lot better, to be honest,” Rob said with a small smile. It was then that he reached over to take your hand in his. The small movement made your heart rate pick up and you definitely felt butterflies just by having him touch you. At this point though, you didn’t know if those feelings had anything to do with the connection or if it was just nerves.

“Yeah, me too,” you replied.

You and Rob shared a brief moment, looking at each other until it all began to feel awkward again. There was definitely something there between you, and you desperately wanted it to just be perfect; but, all you could do at this point was wait to see if Kim could come up with anything else on the topic.

“Well, let’s see about finding someone to get you back to the hotel,” Rich said, forcing you and Rob from your moment together.

“Why?” Rob asked. “I’ve still got work to do today.”

“Yeah, well, you’ve just found your soulmate, so you get a pass on the rest of the weekend.”

“I can’t do that. I’ve got panels, photo ops… the concert.”

“I get it, but maybe you don’t understand how serious this is. Finding her… Rob, this is an important day. You’ve got to take some time for the two of you to just be together.”

“I mean, she’s here at the con anyway. We’ll still be together even if I’m working.”

Rich looked at his friend in confusion.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Fine.”

“Do you really not suddenly feel the need to just be with her? Like, there’s not a part of you that just knows you should take some time for you to be alone with her?”

“Well, uh… no?” He replied, looking unsure as to whether that was the right answer. “I want her around, sure. But, come on, I barely know her.”

“This is a lot more serious than I thought,” Rich muttered. He ran a hand across his beard, looking concerned as he studied both of you.

“What?” Rob asked.

“The rest of the process,” you said softly. “We’re supposed to…”

“I know,” Rob cut you off. “I know what the process it.”

“There’s just… a certain way things are supposed to happen,” Rich explained.

“Believe me, I know,” Rob said in frustration. “All my life I’ve heard about how this was supposed to happen. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen that way. Not for us. So, please forgive me if I don’t feel the sudden urge to jump into bed with a woman I hardly know.”

You stared at the floor as Rob spoke, feeling just as frustrated by the whole thing as he did.

Your entire life you had dreamed about this moment. Finding your soulmate was supposed to be perfect. You were supposed to fall in love immediately, you were supposed to just know that your person was the one that you would be with forever. Right now though, you knew that it wasn’t going to be that easy for you.

You felt the same way that he did. You were drawn to him. But, you also felt uncomfortable by the entire thing. You didn’t know him. You didn’t have that feeling that was supposed to be there. You were just grateful that he was able to say these things out loud that you had been thinking all along.

“Look, I just worry that, by not following the usual protocol, this whole thing could get worse,” Rich said.

“How could it get worse?” You cut in.

“I don’t know,” Rich breathed out. “We just don’t know anything about this. What if this connection breaks completely because neither of you are even trying to make it happen?”

“Rich, I stand firmly on what I said. Look at her,” Rob said, gesturing toward you. “She’s already nervous, as am I. I want this to happen. I’ve always wanted this. It just… didn’t happen the way it should have. So, I’m not going to force either of us into anything.”

“Yeah, but-“

“Please stop,” Rob sighed. “Y/N and I will figure this out. But for now, I think we just need to work on getting to know each other first.”

“You should already know each other,” Rich replied. “That’s the whole point of soulmates. Fate does the work for you.”

“Yeah well, fate kinda failed us, didn’t it?” Rob asked bitterly.

Rich nodded, turning his lips up into a forced smile.

“You’re right. You two sort of got screwed here.”

“I’m not denying that there’s something here,” Rob continued. He turned to glance at you, making eye contact with you briefly. “I feel it, I do. But, I also get the feeling that we’re going to have to take things a bit slower.”

You smiled at him, still thankful that he was saying exactly what you were thinking. Maybe the connection between the two of you wasn’t as weak as you had thought. You both seemed to be on the same page about how to handle this at least.

“Okay,” Rich said finally. “I can’t say that I know anything about what this is. Hell, I don’t think anyone knows what this is. But, I trust that the two of you are well on your way to figuring it out.”

“We are,” you said. “We’ll figure it out. Together.”

“I’m gonna finish the weekend,” Rob explained to you. “It’s probably best if you stay around. Obviously you’re welcome to hang out here.”

You nodded your understanding, knowing that there was no way you were going back to being just another fan enjoying the con. Not only had all those people seen what had happened between you and Rob, but you had a basic understanding of how the rest of the connection was supposed to go. Even if you knew that this particular situation was anything but normal, you still wanted to try to treat it as if it were.

“Dude, you can’t-“ Rich started, almost trying to stop Rob from walking away from you.

“What?”

“You know what? Never mind.”

“No. Say what you were gonna say.”

“Nope. I just realized that this could be good for my notes.”

“Really? You’re actually going to take notes?”

“For science,” he grinned.

* * *

You hadn’t been in the green room for more than ten minutes when the sudden wave of sickness washed over you. It was unexpected in a way, and immediately overwhelming.

You tried to breathe through the dizziness and twisting of your stomach, sort of panicked that this had come on so suddenly and you had no idea why. You found that steadying your breathing helped a bit, or at least made the feelings tolerable briefly.

You weren’t sure why, but all you wanted was Rob right now. You assumed that feeling had a lot to do with the connection, and you felt a bit better knowing that you at least missed him even if you were somewhat indifferent toward him.

Others came and went as you sat there. Some introduced themselves to you, others mostly stared at you as if you were an oddity. You understood of course. Everyone knew by now what had happened, and the fact that you and Rob weren’t away and going through the expected steps of this entire thing was concerning for everyone.

Just as you had closed your eyes to focus on getting through a wave of nausea, you felt the couch shift beneath you as someone sat next to you. You opened your eyes and glanced toward the person, recognizing her as Briana.

She smiled sweetly at you and you forced a smile back.

“You don’t look so good,” Briana said.

“I don’t feel so good,” you admitted.

“You know why, right?”

You shook your head, too tired to even talk at this point. Your careful breathing didn’t seem to be working anymore in holding back the sickness, and now you just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry.

“Look, I get that you and Rob have each been alone for a really long time,” she began. “This whole soulmate thing doesn’t normally happen this late in life. But, do you really not have a basic understanding of what this whole thing entails?”

“After a while of not finding your person, you sort of forget,” you said quietly.

“Okay,” she chuckled, “I’ll get to the point. You’re not supposed to be away from your soulmate so soon after finding them. Separation this early causes all sorts of problems.”

“Yeah, I knew that. I just figured that since this is all a little unconventional, it wouldn’t matter.”

“Well, this is a good thing,” she said with a smile as she sat next to you. “I heard about the uh, uniqueness of the situation. So, it’s really good that you’re feeling this way while he’s working.”

“I just- assumed we wouldn’t have to worry about these things.”

“Even though this is… unique, I might suggest that the two of you just treat it normally. And maybe it’s a good idea to go find him. Might make you feel better.”

“Thank you,” you mumbled. “But, I can wait. I don’t want to bother him while he’s working.”

“I wonder how he’s feeling,” she mused.

“Hopefully not as bad as I feel. I couldn’t imagine having to work while feeling like this.”

As the thought left your lips, you heard a door open. You looked up to see Rob enter the room, Rich right behind him.

“Well,” Briana began. “I think it’s safe to say you’re both feeling the effects.”

You understood what she meant. As Rob approached you, you noted that he looked awful. The color had drained from his face, dark circles had appeared suddenly around his eyes, and he trudged toward you as if he had no strength left in his body.

You wondered if you looked that bad.

“Are you okay?” You asked, when he finally reached you.

“No,” he replied. “Are you okay?”

You shook your head in response.

“How are we both sick?” He asked. “And all of the sudden?”

He plopped down next to you on the couch, looking miserable.

“Are you both stupid on purpose?” Rich cut in.

“Excuse me?”

“You can’t be away from each other the day you literally found each other. That’s why you’re sick, you idiots.”

“I thought that was a myth,” Rob replied.

“It’s not a myth. It’s fact. It’s probably even worse for you two considering that your connection isn’t exactly normal to begin with.”

“I know,” you groaned. “I knew this could happen, I just didn’t think it would happen to us.”

“Even now, you’re still not feeling well?” Rich asked as he quirked an eyebrow at you.

“I feel terrible,” you mumbled.

In an attempt to comfort you, Rob reached out to you finally. He cautiously wrapped an arm around you, pulling you close to his body.

You immediately relaxed. The moment that he made contact with you, the sickness seemed to wash away. You glanced over to him, noting that he also seemed to be feeling better. The color had returned to his skin and he gave you a smile as you both felt the miserable feeling leave your bodies.

“Is everything okay?”

You heard Rich’s voice after a while. It broke you from your daze, and you realized that you and Rob had been sitting there for some time, just staring into each other’s eyes. He hadn’t let go of you, and you breathed a sigh of relief that at least this had happened normally.

“Yeah,” Rob answered him, not even breaking eye contact with you as he spoke. “We’re good. We’re really good.”


	5. Part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kim comes through with not much else. Rob and Reader have to decide if they are willing to stick it out as imperfect soulmates, or if it might be for the best to risk rejecting each other.

Rob decided that it was best to keep you close by for the rest of the day. There was still a lot left to do; as the morning had barely started when you had that moment at autographs.

You realized quickly that there was no going back to being just a regular fan. You would never wait anxiously in autograph or photo op lines, and even more, you would definitely not be out there in the crowd during SNS anymore. That is, if this entire thing even worked out in the first place.

At this point, you weren’t sure if you and Rob’s broken connection was something that would work. You had it in your mind that you wanted to at least try. Maybe there would come a point when the connection would fix itself. Maybe it wasn’t completely broke, maybe it was just still delayed.

However, you had no idea what Rob thought of it really. There hadn’t been time for the two of you to really talk about it and decide what to do.

Mostly, Rob just seemed irritated today. You admit, you felt the irritation too. This wasn’t how either of you pictured this happening; but his irritation left you feeling uncomfortable.

To make things worse, there were already whispers around the convention questioning why Rob was still here when everyone had witnessed your connection earlier that day.

You sort of felt embarrassed knowing that people were talking. It wasn’t normal to find your soulmate and just go about your day as if nothing had happened. There were rules to this whole thing. There were very specific steps to take. You wondered how long it would be until people began to question your connection at all. Even more, you wondered if you and Rob would be able to handle it if word got out that this entire thing was not going the way that it should.

You tried to avoid the talk going around the internet, which was hard to do considering that you were a fan at a convention who happened to follow and be followed by other fans. You occasionally caught a glimpse of the things people were saying online, and it honestly hurt.

For now, you knew that you needed to focus on the problem at hand, so you quickly shut off your phone completely to avoid upsetting yourself more.

You felt like a burden as you followed Rob around for the rest of the day. You would awkwardly stand to the side during photo ops and autographs and stay directly backstage while Rob was out there. Neither of you wanted to risk feeling the way that you had earlier again, so you very willingly followed him and he very willingly allowed you to. 

* * *

By that evening, you had joined everyone in the green room. You could still feel their stares and you knew that they were all wondering the same things that the other fans were. You could also sense the uneasiness from Rob. By now, it wasn’t even just because you could see the annoyance present on his face; but you could literally feel his emotions as you stayed near him.

It was a strange thing really, something that left you feeling uncomfortable in return. Sometimes, he’d glance over to you, narrowing his eyes questioningly at you, but you never said a thing. You wondered if he could feel your emotions as well. At least that would be a good thing considering.

“Hey,” Rob started as he grasped onto your arm to stop you.

You paused, looking at him hopefully.

“Look, I can tell that you’re worried. I am too.”

“You’re right,” you replied. “I am really worried. This is all so… awkward.”

“I get it. I can feel what you’re feeling.”

“You can?” You asked with a smile, feeling relieved now that it wasn’t just you.

Almost as soon as you smiled at him, he smiled in return.

“Yeah, it’s weird, but I keep getting these vibes from you. It’s like, sometimes I’m feeling things that I’m not really feeling; if that makes sense.”

“It doesn’t,” you chuckled. “But it also does.”

“Is this a soulmate thing?”

“Yeah, it is. Feeling each other’s feelings… it’s a good thing.”

He chuckled softly, letting his hand stroke your arm for a moment. Now, you could sense that he felt a little bit better about the whole thing. You did as well. It seemed as if each tiny moment of realization that there were still some things present between the two of you that resembled any kind of actual connection made you both relax a bit more.

* * *

You had been waiting to hear from Kim all day as she said she would do a bit more research on the topic, and all day, you hadn’t run into her to press her for information. Right before Rob was about to head back to do his final autographs for the day, Kim entered the green room. You and Rob both instantly perked up when you saw her, eager to hear what she had found out.

“What have you got for us?” Rob asked as Kim approached you.

“Nothing,” she answered, looking almost sad as she said it.

“Really?” You asked.

“I found nothing else of use in my research.”

“So, what does that mean?” You asked.

“It just means that everything I already told you is all there is to tell you,” Kim replied.

“There’s nothing else?” Rob asked.

“I’m sorry. I really thought I might be able to find out a bit more, but it turns out that this whole thing is just not something that ever happens. There’s nothing else out there on the topic.”

“What do we do now?” Rob sighed.

“Um, what about rejection?” You asked. Just mentioning the idea made you feel sick. It wasn’t something that was talked about often, not publicly anyway. You had only ever heard about it briefly back in school; and even then it had been discussed as ‘something that should never happen, ever.’

“What?” Rob asked, frowning at you and looking hurt as he caught on to what you were suggesting.

“That’s not really a thing,” Rich replied. “I know they gotta talk about it in school or whatever, but that doesn’t actually happen.”

“How do you know? Of course it’s a real thing. If it wasn’t, no one would ever talk about it.”

“Do you realize what you’re saying?” Kim asked.

“Yes. I don’t know a lot about it, but maybe it’s something that needs to happen here.”

You gauged Rob’s reaction to your question, already knowing that he was upset about you even bringing it up.

“You’re out of your mind,” Rich muttered.

“I’ve never heard of anyone actually rejecting their soulmate,” Kim explained. “And even if you did, can you even imagine what would happen? Think about earlier today. Do you really want to risk going through that again? You were away from each other for a few minutes and you were sick, I just- don’t even want to imagine what would happen if you completely rejected each other.”

“What could happen?” You asked.

“It doesn’t matter what could happen, Y/N,” Rob argued. “Because it’s not happening.”

“Don’t you think we should have options? What if we’re just too broken to fix?”

“Then we just stay broken together!” He shouted in frustration.

You pressed your lips together, shocked by his outburst, and now feeling terribly upset. You knew it was just you feeling what he was feeling now, and it hurt.

“Look, I’ve waited so long for this to happen,” he explained a bit more calmly. “I waited for you. I’m not willing to give up on that just because there’s a glitch.”

“Okay,” you whispered.

“Unless you really don’t want me, then I’m sticking with it. No one knows anything about this… maybe there’s a chance that it fixes itself or we fix it. Even if there isn’t that chance, I’d rather at least try than give up.

“Okay,” you reiterated. Honestly, you felt relief wash over you as Rob argued the thought of it. It wasn’t what you wanted, but you wanted to at least give him the choice as well.

“So, no more talk about… rejection. I’m not rejecting you. Let’s just- figure it out together.”

* * *

When the day ended, you were ready for sleep. Today had taken a lot out of you, and you needed rest.

Rob insisted on walking with you back to your room, and you happily accepted his offer.

You walked mostly in silence, still not sure of what to say at this point.

“This is me,” you pointed to your room as you approached it.

“Cool,” Rob replied. “I’m not too far from here actually.”

“Well, goodnight,” you said as you stopped at your door and took out your room key.

“What?”

Rob looked at you in confusion and you began to feel confused as well.

“This is my room… thanks for walking me back.”

“Oh. I thought you were just getting your things and we’d go back to my room. I have a suite.”

“Excuse me?” You asked, feeling your face heat up out of embarrassment.

“Y/N, we can’t be apart. Did you forget what happened earlier?”

“Oh. I sorta did.”

“I don’t know about you, but I would really rather not feel like that again.”

“You’re right. We’re not supposed to be apart for now. Just- give me a minute to get some of my things?”

“Of course.”

You entered your room and Rob stepped in, watching you as you moved around the room and gathered some things that you knew you would need at least for tonight. You felt nervous as you did so; mostly as you thought about the fact that you would be spending the night with someone you hardly knew. He must have sensed your thoughts, because he spoke up suddenly as you threw some of your things into a small bag.

“Nothing has to happen,” he began. “I know this whole soulmate thing… we’re supposed to… well, you know. But, since our connection is a little delayed, we don’t have to rush into all of that.”

“Thank you,” you replied, noting that he was also feeling a little uncomfortable about the whole thing.

“I just- maybe it’s better to just stay close… especially after today.”

“Right. We know that being away from each other isn’t an option. At least that part isn’t broken.”

Rob smiled at you, offering to take your bag when you were done packing. The two of you walked to his room in silence and you felt your stomach flip as he opened the door and invited you in.

You stood there in the entrance like an idiot, not really knowing if you were meant to make yourself comfortable here or if you should wait.

Rob set your bag down and ushered you in. Once you knew that it was okay to actually be there, you excused yourself to get ready for bed.

Both of you, now dressed in pajamas, stood next to the single bed in the room, and you grew uneasy again.

“I’m pretty beat,” he said. “It was a long day.”

“Yeah. I’m tired too.”

Still, you stood there, not sure of what you were supposed to do. Yes, you were soulmates, but was it too soon to share a bed? Rob had stated that he expected nothing from tonight, but just the thought of being in a bed with someone that you admired from a fan standpoint heightened your nervousness.

“It’s okay,” Rob smiled, again understanding what you were feeling right now. “I’ll take the couch.”

“But it’s your room,” you argued, already feeling bad.

“It’s fine. I’m the one who’s making you stay here.”

You didn’t argue any more. You made yourself comfortable in the oversized bed, glancing over to Rob as he stretched out on the small couch. You frowned to yourself, still feeling bad that he had given up his comfort for you.

Exhausted after a long and trying day, you sighed and turned off the bedside lamp. There was no point in arguing, at least not tonight. Even if a part of you wanted to have him next to you, you didn’t want to push it too much. A broken connection could result in any number of things; you could end up really connection, or you could end up annoying him if you pushed him too far.

You stared up at the ceiling for what felt like hours, unable to fall asleep. You were tired, but you felt as if you couldn’t relax. It didn’t help that you could hear Rob moving around on the couch, stopping sometimes to let out an audible sigh.

“Y/N?” You heard his voice come in a whisper from across the room as if he was trying to be quiet just in case you were asleep.

“Yeah?” You said softly in return.

You heard him sigh again before speaking.

“Would it be really weird for me to lay with you?” He asked.

“No, I don’t think so. We are soulmates after all.”

You smiled softly, secretly pleased that he had been the one to ask. Maybe the two of you weren’t perfect soulmates, and the connection was off; but even you understood that you needed to have him close to you. You only had hoped that he was feeling the same way.

He quickly climbed into the bed next to you, already looking more relaxed now that he was there. You turned to your side, smiling to yourself as you reached over to turn off the lamp.

Just as you closed your eyes, now feeling more relaxed and able to sleep, you could feel him tossing and turning next to you. Every now and then, you heard him breath out in a huff, as if he were frustrated still.

“Are you okay?” you asked as you turned to face him.

“I just- I can’t sleep.”

“I can tell. You’re making it hard for me to fall asleep.”

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled.

He watched you, locking eyes with you for some time before reaching out to you suddenly. Your heart raced as his hand came into contact with your waist. He hesitantly touched you there, waiting to see if this little bit of physical contact was okay. Despite your nervousness, you immediately felt a sense of calm wash over you at his touch. You gave him another smile and he relaxed into his hold on you.

“Is this okay?” He whispered.

“Yeah, it’s okay.”

You were honestly thrilled to be with him like this in this moment. While you were both questioning this connection, or lack of one, you knew that it was still there. Having him touch you even like this was enough to remind you that he was yours.

“Better?” You asked.

“Much better,” he breathed out.

You didn’t speak for the rest of the night. Instead, you melted into his hold on you, closing your eyes again and quickly drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

There was a lot that still needed to be addressed. You knew that this entire thing had only just begun. But, you knew that he was sticking with you, despite the obvious difficulties of your connection.

You didn’t have to have it all figured out now, and you knew that the two of you would get there eventually. The details of how this would work could wait.


	6. Part 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that they’ve decided they should hope this fixes itself, or work on fixing it themselves rather than find out the consequences of rejection; things are about to change completely. They have to live together, be together, and hope they can learn to love each other. For them, it has to start with getting to know each other.

**Rob’s POV**

“So, what happens next?” Rich asked as he plopped down on the couch next to him.

“What do you mean?” Rob replied.

“I mean, obviously things aren’t going to come easily for the two of you. So, you have decisions to make.”

“Like?”

“Like, where will you live? You have to live together somewhere. Also, what’s your next step? Are you just going to go with this weird connection? Are you actually going to see if you can make it really work?”

“I guess… I guess we didn’t think that far ahead,” Rob mumbled.

He glanced in the direction of Y/N who was sat at a table on the other side of the room, talking to Briana and Kim. Even though she was in the same room as him, Rob couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling he had over her not being right next to him. He figured that was a good thing. Even the slightest distance was difficult, even if being around her was weird right now.

“Well, I suggest you start thinking. Because the con is over, and you’ve gotta go home to somewhere together.”

“Home?” Rob muttered.

He broke his gaze from Y/N and looked at Rich almost pleadingly.

“What do I do?” He asked. “I know we can’t be apart, but how do I suggest to a complete stranger that we move in together?”

“I don’t know man. She really shouldn’t feel like a complete stranger.”

“She does though. It’s like, there is definitely something there… I can feel it. I can feel the connection. But, I don’t know her. She doesn’t know me. I don’t really know what to do next.”

“This is so far past my knowledge of anything soulmate related,” Rich explained. “But, if you two are set on making this work, possibly fixing whatever it is that’s broken between you, you’re gonna have to figure it out.”

“You’re right,” Rob replied. “I just wish I knew where to start.”

* * *

**Reader’s POV**

“So, what does happen next?” You asked.

You stepped alongside Rob after he finished his conversation with Rich. He was now gathering his belongings, ready to call it a day.

This particular convention had been draining for both of you. You felt exhausted and you knew that he did as well. Still, you knew what they had discussed, and it was an important and legitimate topic that neither of you had actually discussed with each other.

Truthfully, you had been fearful all day just thinking about what came next.

“What?”

“Your conversation with Rich,” you explained. “He’s right. We have to figure out what happens next.”

“You heard all of that?”

“No,” you said, biting your lip as you considered the strangeness of it all. “I just… had a feeling… from you I think.”

“Wow, now we’re reading each other’s minds?” Rob chuckled.

“Not exactly. But, I definitely just got a feeling that you were thinking about this after your talk with him.”

“Okay, you’re right. We did discuss it. And I guess you and I have to decide what to do together.”

“Well, we know that we shouldn’t be apart for now. Maybe we should think about living arrangements?”

“Right,” he replied.

“It’s so much easier for everyone else,” you chuckled. “Things just… fall into place naturally.”

“We didn’t get so lucky.”

“No. I think if we want this to work, we sort of have to push things in that direction.”

“Well, I do,” he said quickly. “I want this to work. Just know that I’m willing to do anything that we think might help.”

“Me too,” you smiled.

“So, I guess we’ll have to live together when we get back to L.A.”

“Obviously. But, I don’t know if I’m willing to give up everything that I have just yet,” you explained. “I mean, what if this isn’t fixable in the end? I don’t want to think about that possibility, but I also don’t want to have left behind everything that I worked for if it doesn’t work.”

“I understand. I don’t want to think about it either, but I guess we have to be prepared for the possibility. This isn’t a normal thing after all. Maybe we can do a temporary living thing instead.”

“What do you mean?”

“We could take turns. We can stay at my place for a while, and then your place… see what works best for us. That way neither of us are just jumping into this blindly. If it doesn’t work out, then we can just go back to our lives before this whole thing.”

“Yeah,” you said sadly.

You hated even thinking that this wouldn’t work out. Sure, you hardly knew the guy, but you felt something for him. It was deep down right now, and you didn’t know if it was a soulmate thing at this point. Regardless, you were willing to do anything to at least try.

“You okay?” Rob asked when he noticed your expression.

In fact, you realized he probably felt what you were feeling right now.

“I’m okay,” you replied.

“You’re sad,” he pointed out.

There was no point in denying this. There was no point in lying to him about anything, you’d never get away with it.

“I am,” you admitted. “I just- never imagined it would happen this way.”

“Me neither,” he replied.

Just like that, you could sense that he was feeling the same way that you were.

“But, I’m holding on to hope that we can fix this,” he continued. “There’s no proof that we can’t.”

* * *

**Back in L.A.**

It was a strange thing the way you had to basically adjust your life because of this whole situation. You assumed, based on what you had heard about soulmates, that decisions and changes came easily for those who fell into this normally. You and Rob weren’t so lucky. At this point, you had to communicate and come to agreements yourselves.

You decided to stay with him at his place once you got back to L.A., just as long as was necessary, at least until the initial effects of connecting wore off. Neither of you could risk being away from each other and getting sick again. Also, the nights spent together during the convention hadn’t been bad at all. A bit awkward, yes. But, he was a gentleman and was very respectful of the complexity of the situation.

“I really don’t want to inconvenience you,” Rob began as he helped you carry in the last of your bags. “But, I am in the middle of working on an album. Obviously, the guys told me to take all the time I need right now, but I just assumed that since you and I are in this… situation, I could still work.”

“Oh, sure. I understand. It’s probably a good thing that I’m a writer,” you replied. “I just work from home anyway. Don’t stop working just because of this.”

“Yeah,” he said shyly. “But for now, that means you’d have to come with me… at least until the effects start to wear off…”

“If they wear off,” you reminded him.

“I mean, if you’d rather me not work right now, that’s fine. I just thought we should discuss that.”

“Look, I get that you don’t have a typical career. There are places you have to be and I don’t expect you to put your life on hold. Luckily, my job can also be done on the go.”

You gave him a warm smile, letting him know that you weren’t hurt by any of this and that you certainly didn’t want to hold him back from anything. Neither of you had planned for this, no one ever does; and you had certainly not expected things to be so complicated.

“I think it’s important that we each just, keep going the way we always have,” you continued. “That way, neither of us are miserable while we try to figure this out.”

He smiled back at you, seemingly thrilled that you agreed with his own thoughts.

“You know, while I would never wish this situation on anyone; I’m glad it’s happened with you.”

“Me too. I get that this is complicated, but you have to know that I definitely still really feel this connection.”

“I do too,” he replied. “We’re just going to have to try to make it work.”

You glanced around his living room uncomfortably, unsure of how to act right now.

“Make yourself at home,” he said, having definitely felt your uneasiness just now. “Really. Let’s just… not make this weird.”

“Okay,” you replied. “You’re right. So, do you have a guest room or something for me? I should probably not leave my stuff in your living room.”

“I-I do,” he stuttered. “But, I mean… we’ve shared a room before. A bed actually.”

“Is that okay?”

“It’s okay with me,” he replied quickly. “Please understand that I really do like having you close to me. Again, nothing has to happen. But I’m okay with sharing a bed of you are.”

“Yeah, I’m okay with that,” you responded, feeling relieved that he still felt this way.

You couldn’t explain it, but even though this was all still so weird, you very much wanted to remain close to him.

“Great. We can put your stuff in the guest room for now, at least until we figure this out more.”

* * *

You had been sitting in the studio for hours trying to focus on writing. You were far to sidetracked by what was going on though. You found yourself staring at a blank document most of the day, glancing up over the computer screen to watch the guys work.

It was interesting to see what actually went into making an album. It wasn’t at all what you expected it to be. Plus, you were riding on the high of being a fan of this band who was actually sitting here in the studio while they worked. Despite the fact that you were Rob’s pseudo-soulmate, you were internally fangirling the entire time.

Early that evening, while you were actually focused on writing something, Mike approached you. You looked up at him as he stepped in front of you and he made the motion as if asking for permission to join you. You nodded, closing your laptop to see what he was up to.

“What kind of writing do you do,” he asked as he sat across from you.

“How do you know I’m a writer?”

“Because you’ve been staring at a computer screen all day, not writing anything.”

“Touché,” you laughed. “Uh, I actually just write short stories. Mostly for literary magazines.”

“That’s cool,” he replied. “A storyteller.”

“Basically,” you chuckled. “I just make stuff up in my head and write it down. I’m working on a compilation book currently. People like my stuff I guess.”

“Any of your stories come from real life?”

“Well, I suppose all stories come from a real place somehow. It’s just up to the writer to make experiences into a good story.”

“I’d like to read some of your stuff sometime.”

“Thanks. I can send you some recommendations if you like. You also don’t have to read my stuff just because I happened into your life.”

“Not at all,” he smiled. “I’m interested.”

“Interested in what?”

You heard Rob’s voice from behind you; loud and with a hint of snark within it. You could be wrong, but his voice sounded similar to the way it had when he went into that moment of jealous protection from one of Rich’s jokes upon your initial connection.

“Her stories,” Mike explained as he looked up at his friend. “I was just getting to know her a bit and I found out she writes stories. I said I’d like to read them.”

“Oh,” Rob mumbled, looking a bit embarrassed as if he realized the tone of his voice was inappropriate. “Stories?”

He looked at you, face turned up questioningly as if he didn’t know what Mike was talking about.

“I told you I was a writer.”

“Oh, I guess I probably should’ve asked more about that.”

“It’s okay,” you reassured him. “We’re still learning about each other. Maybe we’ll have some time to really sit down and talk.”

“I’d like that,” he replied.

He looked sheepishly back to Mike next, knowing that he needed to apologize.

“Sorry I got so… defensive. This jealous feeling just pops up and I don’t really know how to handle it.”

“It’s okay,” Mike said. “I get it. I also get this is a sensitive situation. But, I also have my soulmate, so I am most definitely not moving in on yours.”

“I know,” Rob replied. “I’ll figure out how to handle these feelings. In the meantime, I’m sorry if I overreact.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he laughed in return. “You two will get there. I have faith.”

Mike turned back to you, pointing at you as he stood up to leave.

“Also, might I suggest that this entire situation between the two of you could be a really great story.”

You had to laugh at his words. It was an interesting suggestion, but, the last thing you wanted was for the world to know about your broken connection. You had been a sob story for people that you knew your entire life. The girl who’d never find her person. You also knew that Rob, being the celebrity that he was, could never escape the gossip about his own failure to find his person.

The fact that the two of you connected so publicly, and so long after the first time you met, was concerning. You didn’t know how much Rob had delved into it through these past few days, but your curiosity definitely got the best of you during the convention weekend. You had seen it all, read it all, and forced yourself not to respond to the things being said about the two of you.

Others in the fandom definitely noticed the strangeness of the situation, especially those who knew that you and Rob had a friendly relationship for years. The big question within the fandom was; “why now?” Why had this happened so suddenly and so unexpectedly?

You would never tell him the things you had read, but you assumed he sort of already knew. How could he not.

Your story was already a lot of other stories out there in fandom. There was no need to consider writing about this mess.

“How are you doing?” Rob asked once Mike had left.

It was just the two of you now, and he took Mike’s place next to you.

“I’m good. Just enjoying sitting here and watching this whole process.”

“I can’t imagine this is any fun for you. I’m sorry to drag you along.”

“Are you kidding?” You chuckled. “I get to watch my favorite band work on a record. This is great.”

“Your favorite band?”

“Yeah,” you replied, giving him a confused look.

“I had no idea.”

“Come on,” you laughed. “You’ve seen me at how many conventions? How many shows? You didn’t know I was a fan?”

“Well, yeah. I just… wondered if that changed after everything.”

“Nothing’s changed. Aside from the whole soulmate thing. I’m sorry your ‘pseudo-soulmate’ turned out to be a fan.”

“That doesn’t bother me,” he replied. “After a few years, I always imagined that’s how it would happen, you know?”

“Oh really?” You teased. “You imagined you’d land a fan?”

“I imagined it would happen at a convention or a show… with a fan… because that’s just my life. I wasn’t disappointed when it did happen with you. Just disappointed that it wasn’t the way it should have been.”

“I share similar thoughts on that,” you laughed. “I was so far past the expected age, everyone just sort of assumed it would never happen for me. I assumed the same. I’m not disappointed either. How could I be? I was disappointed that there was nothing the first time I ever met you though.”

“Really?” Rob smiled.

“Hey, I’m a fangirl and I was unattached,” you reminded him. “A girl can dream.”

“I’m sorry that it wasn’t the way it should have been.”

“It is what it is,” you shrugged. “Thank you for not giving up on this though.”

“We’ve both been led to believe we were never finding our person. I am not giving up on it now that I have it. Even if it is slightly broken.”

“Good. Because I’m sticking around for as long as you’ll have me.”

Rob gave you a smile, reaching over to take your hand. Despite all of this, you loved this constant gesture from him. His touch sparked something within you every time, and you continued to hope that it really meant something, and that maybe he felt the same thing.

“Hey, when we’re done here, why don’t we have a date night?” He asked suddenly. “Just you and me. We can stay in, have dinner, just- talk and get to know each other.”

“I think that sounds perfect.”

“I look forward to it,” he said as he reached for your hand.

“Me too.”

“Is this okay?” He asked as he gave your hand a squeeze.

“Y-yeah, it’s okay.”

You felt yourself blush, intrigued by the feelings that you got from just touching him. You didn’t know if it was the connection at all or if it was simply that you really did feel an attraction to him. Either way, this sort of contact made you feel safe in a way; it made you feel as though maybe this whole thing could be okay at some point.

“I just- I don’t know,” he mumbled. “I like the way I feel when I’m close to you.”

“I get it. Me too.”


	7. Part 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They’re working on getting to know each other; but they each still have their doubts. What should have been a perfect moment only pushes them further away from each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was listening to Ray LaMontagne while I wrote this and I did have a specific song in mind, but I figure you can imagine your own favorite song.

**Reader’s POV**

Rob was busy in the kitchen, preparing dinner for the two of you while you worked on setting the table. You finished up by placing wine glasses on the table, realizing now just how nervous you were. Plenty of soulmates went on dates. It wasn’t because of the need to get to know each other, but rather, just a way to spend time with your person.

This… this was completely different. You and Rob had to find a way to get to know each other. Something in your connection failed to fulfill that basic part of finding your soulmate. The two of you were basically left to fend for yourselves; unable to connect in even the most basic ways. 

You had no one to turn to with the questions that filled your mind. No one could ever understand what the two of you were going through and this was something you had to figure out together. You wondered how the two of you could possibly get to know each other the way that soulmates knew each other. You knew that time was of the essence here, you could feel it. If either of you wanted to at least try to fix this, you had to work on the missing pieces quickly.

“I hope you like chicken Alfredo,” Rob said as he appeared next to you.

You hadn’t even heard him walk into the room; but there he was, carrying a dish that he moved to set on the table. You had already put out a salad and a bottle of wine that you found in his kitchen.

“It’s actually my favorite,” you replied. “How did you know?”

“I didn’t know. I just… had a feeling.”

He pulled out a chair and motioned for you to sit. You did as he instructed, thrilled that he was still a gentleman and obviously going out of his way to make you comfortable. Once you were sat, he joined you, taking his seat across from you.

The two of you served yourselves in an awkward silence, unsure of how to even start. You took a bite of your food, trying to think of something to say. Luckily, Rob took control of the situation.

“So, tell me about yourself,” he began as glanced over to you. “What’s your story?”

You easily fell into conversation with him now that he had taken the initiative to start one. You talked about your families; knowing that at some point, you’d have to meet his and he’d have to meet yours. That whole thing was a normal part of connecting. Once the initial feelings of connection wore off, which could take weeks or even months for some, and soulmates were ready to go back into the world, parents generally threw large parties to accept the new person into the their families. It was an entire process, and overwhelming to even think about considering.

You and Rob decided that you would definitely try to draw this out for as long as possible while you worked on getting to know each other.

You talked about everything. You talked about your friends, your jobs… Rob talked a lot about making music, which you loved to listen to him go on about. You never thought you’d find yourself in a position to actually hear the man talk about his music; so you basked in it while he spoke; intrigued and immersed.

The two of you got to talking about favorite bands. And when you mentioned a band that you were recently into, his eyes lit up, almost changing to a brighter shade of blue that you didn’t even realize was possible. He rushed over to his record player and scanned through a collection of albums until he found what he was looking for.

“Have you heard this one?” He asked excitedly.

“Of course I have,” you giggled. “I told you, they’re one of my favorite bands.”

“Yeah,” he grinned as he turned the volume up. “But have you heard it like this?”

The music filled the room with intensity and you could feel it in your bones. The slow guitar, the steady beating of the drums. You let it wash over you as you watched Rob with complete adoration. He was smiling, watching you intently to make sure that you were feeling this in the way that you were apparently meant to.

“I love this song,” you said softly. You leaned back, closing your eyes and you focused on the lyrics; so melancholy, but still beautiful, unaware that Rob’s eyes never left you.

“It’s a good song.”

“Great choice,” you said as you smiled at him.

“You wanna dance?”

“Okay.”

You watched as he stepped toward you held his hand out to you. Eagerly, you grasped onto it; immediately feeling that spark that you had been feeling each time the two of you touched rush through your body.

He helped you up and almost hesitantly got himself into position; wrapping his arms around your waist as you rested yours on his shoulders. He gave you a nervous smile before moving you into a slow dance.

You lost yourself in this moment. Maybe it was the song… but most likely, it was the closeness that you had with Rob right now. Yes, you had cuddled a few times in bed, mostly when the sickness of being apart became too much for either of you to handle; but this was different. This was a moment of complete trust. You could feel it.

Trying to gauge how he was feeling, you pulled back a bit and looked at him. He smiled at you and you felt your stomach flip as you realized that he was definitely handsome. You had known all along, but it was a different kind of realization. You didn’t want to push too much, but you dared to say it was a ‘this is my person and he is perfect’ kind of realization.

Almost as soon as you felt this moment of adoration toward him, it disappeared and was replaced with anxiety. Now, all you could think about was the fact that he could very easily not be yours at all. You kept telling yourself it was a broken connection. Broken, but still very much real. Right now, you wondered if it had just been a mistake. You wondered if he thought the same thing.

Something changed in him as you watched him. The usually nervous man that you had interacted with so many times suddenly looked at you differently. There was a spark of something in his eyes, and almost sure grin pulled up on his lips as the two of you stared at each other.

He was right there. His lips so close to yours, those violent blue eyes staring straight into yours. You both felt something in this moment, you knew it.

While your connection probably should have felt like this the moment it happened, it was happening now. Still, you had been so confused by this entire thing; so you weren’t sure what this was or even if it was a hint at the two of you fixing this.

You reached a hand up to his face, carefully placing it along his jawline; feeling the rough hairs of his beard beneath your fingertips. Your eyes flicked to his lips as you wondered if you were really ready for this.

You shouldn’t have been feeling so nervous, so afraid, so confused. In spite of those feelings, there was something else there too. A want. A need. Something you had never felt before; and that scared you.

Your breath caught as he moved closer to you. You watched as his eyes fluttered closed, his hands gripping onto your back as they pulled you closer to him. You wanted him to kiss you. But, remembering this situation that you were in, you wondered if that was a good idea right now.

You hardly knew the man. All the two of you really had was the occasional mental and emotional connection that disappeared almost as quickly as it showed up. All you had was a completely broken connection that you so desperately wanted to fix even if you had no idea if was fixable.

The idea of growing attached to him only to have this entire thing shatter in the end terrified you. You knew it would be best to take this slowly, for your own sake.

Just before he got too close to you, you turned your face from his, clearing your throat awkwardly as you began to push him away.

The music began to fade out in the background and Rob was now pulled back, looking at you again, this time questioningly.

“Thanks for the dance,” you said as you removed yourself from his arms. “I haven’t danced in a long time.”

“Uh, yeah,” he replied, turning his face up in a look of confusion as he let it sink in that you had just denied him completely. “That was nice. Thank you.”

You immediately realized that you had definitely hurt his pride and probably confused the hell out of him.

“Hey, maybe we should talk about that,” you offered.

The last thing you wanted was to make him think you weren’t interested in making this work. One of the worst things a person could do was deny their soulmate, and you got the feeling that you had definitely just done that.

“What? Talk about what?” He said defensively.

His behavior went from endearing and sweet to uncomfortable in a matter of seconds.

“I’m not saying that I don’t want to kiss you,” you explained. “Trust me; there’s a definite want for that… but I just feel like- this isn’t the time. Not when we’re just getting to know each other and learning to handle this.”

“I wasn’t going to kiss you,” he said sharply. “I just- wasn’t.”

“Okay,” you said softly, not wanting to upset him even more.

“It’s late. I’m going to bed.”

“Oh, okay,” you replied. “Should I… should I sleep in the guest room maybe?”

He sighed, now avoiding your gaze as he ran a hand against the back of his neck as if he were considering this.

“Uh, yeah,” he said. “Maybe for now. I mean, this is your first night here… this is- confusing-.”

“Okay,” you muttered.

“Look, I know we’ve shared a bed and all before, but it’s a little different now that we’re in my house. We don’t need to make each other uncomfortable. I just want you to be comfortable. I don’t expect you to sleep in my bed.”

He was taking back every word he had said before. You knew the two of you shared a bed during the convention because the connection was so new and the effects made it impossible for the two of you to be apart, but he had mentioned keeping things going the way that they had been as he helped you move your stuff in. You liked the idea of being close to him like that, but now you had ruined everything. You had offended him so much that he didn’t even want you near him.

**Rob’s POV**

As he lay in bed that night, he couldn’t stop replaying the evening in his mind. There had just been something about that moment… the dance, the feel of her in his arms, and the way she looked at him.

For a brief moment, he really thought they were so much closer to fixing this than even he expected. It felt like the right thing to do in that moment. Something inside of him told him that he needed to kiss her. He felt that it was almost imperative to do so. And, for a brief moment, he thought she felt the same thing.

It wasn’t a blow to his ego the way she had denied him. He would never pressure her into anything. But, his worries stemmed from the fact that she obviously didn’t feel that same feeling in that moment.

Soulmates were supposed to feel each other’s feelings. They were supposed to feel the same things. Things like that first kiss were supposed to be a mutual feeling and a moment that was pre planned by fate. The need to kiss her had been so strong, he assumed she had to be feeling it too. But when she didn’t, Rob mostly felt letdown. He felt that fate had let him down. How could they fix this when they couldn’t even understand each other emotionally and mentally? How could they work when they couldn’t even feel the same things?

The way she looked at him after she had pushed him away was burned in his memory. She looked offended, sacred… The fact that he had made her feel that way made him sick. How could he be okay with upsetting his soulmate? If that’s really what she was anyway.

Now that he was thinking about the possibility that perhaps this had all just been a fluke, he felt worse. He tried to push the thoughts away, because he really wanted to believe that it was real and that she was his person; but he couldn’t help but wonder if the whole ‘broken soulmate’ thing was just a myth as everyone expected. He had convinced himself that’s all it was and that the two of them could fix it together. Now, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was all just wishful thinking.

Maybe they weren’t broken at all. Maybe their paths had crossed so often, that fate had somehow tripped up in that moment simply because neither of them had ever found their true soulmates. Maybe it wasn’t fate at all. Maybe he and Y/N were just two broken people who somehow fell into this mess.

Rob let out a loud sigh, running his hands through his hair as his mind swirled with every possibility that he could conjure up. This was all so frustrating and painful. He wondered if he had made a mistake by insisting that they work on this. Surely, it shouldn’t be this difficult if they were meant to be soulmates.

His thought wandered to Y/N. Not about how she had denied him or how this had all started. He thought about those Y/E/C eyes. The first color he had ever seen immediately following that moment that his hand brushed against hers. He thought about her smile and her laugh and how the image of her in his mind made him feel a little less incomplete. He thought about how alone he felt right now since he had panicked and asked her to take the guest room.

Surely, those little feelings couldn’t be a fluke.

He didn’t sleep that night. Instead, he tossed and turned and wrestled with his conflicting thoughts.

Was it better to just cut his losses and not risk wasting time on someone who may not be meant for him? Or should he continue to follow that tiny, minuscule, sliver of a feeling deep, deep down that told him to hold onto her?


End file.
